Egypt
November 30 - Dec 7, 2019
Egypt, a magical place that was at the forefront of civiliazation over 4,000 years ago. The ingenuity from that time period was amazing. There is so much history here, and the history as we know it is still evolving with every excavation taking place. It’s not the easiest place to travel, but it’s safer than what most people think, and it’s so rewarding once you get here.
Day 7 - Fly to Dubai
Voyagers tips: While cost of living is very low in Egypt, it is difficult for foreigners to navigate around. Unlike in other countries where we do independent travels, we decided to go with a full-service (thus pricey) tour in Egypt. Many vendors are desperate to make a buck and are not above tricking tourists to make money. We’re glad we went with a full service tour. We used Memphis Tours, and they were very good.
Tipping is expected just about everywhere. They prefer US dollars over local Egyptian currency. For Americans, bring a few hundreds of dollars, preferably in small bills, and expect to use them all during the trip. For the cruise, a large tip is also expected for the crew and for the tour guide. No need to take out local currency, everyone prefers US dollars.
Private tour guides will almost always bring you to shops where they get a cut of your purchases. If you want to avoid wasting your precious time in these shops, tell the guide up front to avoid them and let them know you’ll make it up in higher tips. The Papyrus shops and alabaster shops were interesting enough to see; jewelry shops are a waste of time. The selling pressure is never comfortable.